Walley L. Gaddis, Jr.

Lance Corporal Walley Lee Gaddis, Jr. (April 14, 1947 – May 29, 1969) was 22-year-old Marine from Daytona Beach, Florida, who was abducted by several members of the Pagan's motorcycle enthusiast club before being murdered by member Ronald W. Pryor, in Lorton on May 29, 1969.[1]

Gaddis had been on leave since May 6 and had flown from New York to Washington, D.C., where he started hitchhiking on the Shirley Highway to get back to his post at Camp Lejune in North Carolina.[2] At some point he was picked up by a group of Pagans including Pryor, who drove him to the remote area. There they forced him to strip naked before Pryor, in an LSD inspired frenzy, shot Gaddis twice in the head and cut his throat, nearly beheading the young marine.

Gaddis' naked and bloody corpse was discovered two days later, on May 31.[3]

Gaddis was one of two children of youth counselor and local sports star Walley Lee Gaddis and his wife Elizabeth, and graduated from Father Lopez High School in Daytona Beach in 1965.[4] Gaddis fell in with a bad crowd and got in trouble for a few burglaries, which may have led him to join the Marines.[5][6]

References

  1. ↑ Curry, William N. "'LSD Tripper' Guilty in Marine's Death." The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973): 1. Dec 10 1970. ProQuest.Web. 24 Aug. 2016 .
  2. ↑ "Cyclist is Indicted in 1969 Slaying of Marine." The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973): 1. Jul 21 1970. ProQuest. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.
  3. ↑ "Nude Body of Man Identified as Marine." The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973): 1. Jun 02 1969. ProQuest. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.
  4. ↑ "'Cycle Rider Held For Gaddis Death." Daytona Beach Morning Journal 21 July 1970: 10. Print.
  5. ↑ "Officer's Son Charged in Thefts."Daytona Beach Morning Journal 24 July 1965: 3. Google Newspaper Archive. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.
  6. ↑ "Gaddis Faces Burglary Trial." Daytona Beach Morning Journal 29 July 1965: 9. Google Newspaper Archive. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.